If you’ve read my previous “Favorite Fantasy Reads” blog post, you’ll know that The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorites. I loved this book and subsequently devoured the whole four-part Raven Cycle series. So I was excited to learn that The Raven Boys has been adapted into a graphic novel, scheduled for release this July 2025.
Blue Sargent comes from a matriarchal family of psychics and seers, although she does not possess this skill herself. Until one St. Mark’s Eve in a crumbling churchyard on the corpse road, she encounters the spirit of a boy destined to die in the coming year. Gansey is his name.
Gansey and his three friends attend the local all-boys prep school, Aglionby Academy. Blue scrupulously avoids stuck-up Aglionby students, known as Raven Boys. But she quickly finds herself entangled with Gansey and his obsession with an ancient Welsh king buried somewhere along the supernatural ley lines that run through the town. Their quest draws Gansey, his loyal gang, and Blue into the crosshairs of a murderer.
Suspense, romance, and Welsh mythology combine in The Raven Boys, an engaging supernatural tale. Armed with her unconventional upbringing and shabby chic vibe, Blue makes a feisty and empathic protagonist. To save Gansey, Blue must confront her preconceived notions about him and his Raven Boy companions – Ronan, Adam, and Noah. Each has significant secrets, revealed in surprising twists and turns that inform their actions and propel the plot. I’m also a big fan of quirky matriarchal families (as you’d know if you’ve read my novel). Blue’s family is hilarious, providing many laugh-out-loud moments that lend touches of levity to the tale. Stiefvater does a masterful job of weaving all these elements together into a memorable and page-turning read.
This summer, I look forward to seeing how all this translates into graphic novel form.